Fate or Love? REVISITED
by Aerith08
Summary: A teenage girl wakes up in the world of Kingdom Hearts for a mysterious purpose. How will her actions behind the scenes affect the course of events in the game, what is she supposed to do, and more importantly, does she have a choice? REVISED version of original story will make the plot fit 358/2 Days.
1. Boringish intro and setting stuff

Author's Note (longest it will probably ever be): It's been a while… So nowadays, I'm in college as a writing major. That's right, those of you who read the original version of this story, I DID go for it.

I used to love this story, but recently when I found it on my laptop and decided to read through it, there were so many mistakes grammatically and structurally that I had to quit. Yes, it's a fanfic I started in early high school, and I've been reading Shakespeare and Chaucer for three years (so I suppose the "Oh God, I can't believe I wrote that crappy sentence/paragraph" feeling is to be expected), but I can't stand not being able to enjoy reading something I put so much time and effort into.

So I'm re-working it; not changing the story to fit the new games (which I HAVE played, and love), because that would take more work than I think I have time/patience for. This edited version is mostly for me; I just decided I'd might as well post it since I'm going through the trouble…

This is not a re-imagining, and I doubt I'll be able to continue the story where I left off (being a writing major sucks homework-wise, and I do have to focus on writing publish-able material during my spare time), but I want to change the things that bug me. It is just a pet project, so I doubt everything will be perfect… But it should be better.

Avalon's name (Avalon Rain) kind of bothers me now, but I suppose it's uniquely hers… I made up her name before I even made up her character. So it stays.

Feel free to leave comments (especially old fans, if you're still here! I'd love to hear from you!)

I may not log onto Fanfic again unless I'm posting or see a question I feel compelled to answer, but I WILL see your reviews because my account is still linked to my e-mail, and I truly do appreciate feedback. Thank you in advance!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters, or its story. Unless you count owning copies of all the games like the total geek I am. =P

* * *

"Hmmm…" Avalon's sapphire eyes grazed her surroundings. "Not bad!"

The teenager stood in the center of a small cabin just outside the Pennsylvanian mountains. There was a bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a living room. "Everything a person needs," she mused. It was certainly compact in comparison to her family's full-sized house in the suburbs, but more than big enough for one person. Especially considering the fact that most of Avalon's time would probably be spent studying and sleeping…

She was nervous about the idea of living on her own in such a rural area, but it seemed silly to drive a two-hour commute to and from her new college, not to mention detrimental to her grades and any possible social life.

To get used to the area, Avalon had arranged to stay for a week or two during the summer; provided an ax-murderer or rapist didn't attack her in the meantime. Avalon grinned at the memory of her mother's warnings as she'd left the house that day:

"Don't talk to strangers," "Don't answer the door at night," and "Don't go wandering around the streets without a can of mace!"

Avalon could practically see the comically wagging finger that traditionally accompanied such advice.

She'd left home late and arrived at 11. Knowing she'd probably go to bed within a few hours of arriving (and trying to put off digging through her crammed duffel bag for as long as possible), Avalon had driven over wearing her pink-plaid pj pants, a black tank top, and her black tennis shoes. It wasn't the most covering outfit; the waistband of her pants had lost most of its elasticity from over-use, and the tank top wasn't quite made for her cup size... But it was comfortable in the balmy night air.

Avalon dropped her belongings in the bedroom and carefully extracted her Gameboy Advance from the front pocket of her dreaded travel bag, then the Playstation 2 from its own box, which had been maintained with the intent of serving as a travel case.

"If I'm gonna be isolated," Avalon grinned, "I might as well get some good gameplay in." It wasn't so much a result of her trip as an anticipated perk. The girl had been looking forward to playing in peace (away from her family of four) forever.

Besides, it was creepy and dark and lonely outside… No way was she getting to sleep without giving her mind something else to focus on. She shivered a little in a moment of realized vulnerability. All the blinds were up, revealing nothing on the other side of the windows but pitch black and an assortment of bugs drawn by the living room light. With a nervous knot in her stomach, Avalon walked around the cabin and closed them, then forced her attention back on the games in her hands.

"Replay Chain of Memories or start Kingdom Hearts 2?" She cocked her head in thought. She hadn't even opened Kingdom Hearts 2 yet, but she knew she wouldn't be able to pull herself away from the new game once she started it, and she _did_ want to sleep at some point since it would make the morning come faster.

"Chain of Memories, it is." Avalon figured it would be fun anyway; she'd be able to re-fresh her memory while effectively wetting her appetite by looking for clues about what was going to happen in the new game. Trying to predict the course of a story was a little game of hers.

Avalon crawled into the bed, (_her_ bed now, she realized) and started a new game under Reverse/Rebirth. She just managed to get through Riku's fight with "Maleficent" before she sank further into her pillow and closed her eyes.

0000000000000000000000000000

Avalon was cold. Unwilling to admit defeat in her attempt to sleep, she kept her eyes closed and felt blindly around her curled-up body for the tip of her comforter. Nothing cushy… In fact, the bed was rock-hard… And cold. The girl squinted at her surroundings. Pink walls and pillars, stained glass windows, odd pipes sticking out of the walls and ground…

"Whaaaa?" Avalon jumped up, glancing all around her like a mouse in a meadow. "Where the heck am I? How did I get here?" She shivered and rubbed her arms, even though she knew the little spasm wasn't entirely cold-induced. "How do I get out…?"

Something in a corner of the room caught her eye. Just a shadow. Or was it? Upon closer inspection, it was in fact writhing, moving with no apparent cause. Within seconds of Avalon's realization, shadows covered the floor and moved toward her with a life of their own. The girl gasped.

They were Heartless. She was being cornered by _Heartless_!

It had to be a dream.

Dream or not, she wasn't in the mood to die. Avalon backed away from the advancing shadows until she had nowhere to go. What else could she do? Though shaking with fear and cold, Avalon grabbed a pipe from the floor and held it like a bat.

They were so close now… Avalon lunged at the nearest shadow Heartless and hit it across the room, but it landed and crawled back as though nothing had happened.

"Crap!" Avalon had forgotten that only special weapons could hurt the Heartless… "Oh man, what am I supposed to do?" The word that came to mind was "die", but she didn't particularly like that option. So, she continued to hold the Heartless at bay, knowing that all she could do was hold them back for a while, knowing that she was getting sweaty and achy, all too aware that she would soon tire and they would not.

"I… can't… keep this up…" she panted, hitting two more away. "What… … … What can I do?"

Avalon wacked another Heartless as hard as she could, then looked up and found herself staring into a pair of striking aqua eyes.

* * *

Random FYI; I don't go to college in the mountains or live alone in a cabin. lol.

For those of you who didn't read the original, all the chapters after 5 are a LOT longer. So if you're annoyed about the length (or, more specifically, the lack thereof), just bear with me!

Review?


	2. Meeting Riku

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. But I DID pwn all the bosses!

That joke would sound so much better out loud…

* * *

Avalon wacked another Heartless as hard as she could, then looked up and found herself staring into a pair of striking aqua eyes.

000000000000000000000000000

Riku.

"No freaking way."

Avalon caught a hint of movement in the far corners of her vision, whirled in a circle, and kicked two advancing Heartless away from her. As always, they hit the wall but crawled right back toward her.

Riku slid toward the Heartless with a cry of, "Haaaah!" destroying the small swarm around Avalon with ease. Within only a few seconds, the creatures that had threatened her life were gone.

His work done, the boy glanced over his shoulder at the "damsel in distress."

"Are you all right?"

"A little tired and confused," Avalon admitted, "but fine…" She tried to stand up straight, but the muscles in her thighs gave out and she landed butt-first on the floor. "Ooow. Ok, maybe a lot tired."

A smile tugged at the corners of Riku's mouth. "This room's safe now. We can rest here." He helped Avalon closer to the wall so she could rest her back against it and sat down beside her. "So, what are you doing here?"

Avalon tilted her head. "Ummmm…" She couldn't exactly say that she'd been sucked into a video game; then she'd have to deal with Riku's disbelief, an existential crisis, or some "fun" combination of both. #(I'll just leave that part out…)# she decided. "I'm not entirely sure," she replied truthfully. "One minute I was asleep in my bed and the next I was here, surrounded by Heartless."

Riku looked surprised. "So you know what they are?"

Avalon thought quickly. "Yeah. They're a bit of a ghost story where I come from. We've heard of them, but no one thinks they exist." #(True enough.)#

"Oh, they're real all right," Riku stated darkly.

"I noticed."

"Well, for someone who hasn't been training, you put up a pretty good fight back there." Riku scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Most people would've been done for."

"Heh." Avalon smiled at the compliment. "Thanks for the rescue, by the way."

"Don't mention it."

"All right. I won't mention that you saved me."

"So, what's with the clothes?" Riku asked as he and Avalon walked toward the hall.

"Waddya mea—oh, CRUD!" The skimpiness of Avalon's outfit hit the girl at full force as she looked down at herself. She halted and attempted to cover her exposed cleavage. "Dumb dryer!" It was more the volume of her chest than the dryer, but she preferred to believe otherwise. "Well, umm… Like I said, I was trying to go to sleep when I showed up here, and I tend to use a blanket no matter how warm it is, so I don't wear heavy clothing when I sleep…"

"You're not kidding." Riku's eyes sunk downward, snapped back toward Avalon's face, then crept back down as though he were losing an inner struggle.

"Hey!" Avalon barked and crossed her arms over her chest.

Riku turned a very light shade of pink. "I was, um, just thinking you must be _cold _in that outfit. _I'm _cold."

Avalon noticed that there were goose bumps on his bare arms. She was still suspicious, but shivered and admitted, "True. Yeah, I'm cold." She slapped her forehead. "I never introduced myself! I'm Avalon Rain." She held out her hand and smiled.

Riku took the girl's hand. He had a firm grip. "Riku."

"If it's all right, I'd like to stick with you for a while. I'll do my best to help."

"Don't worry about 'helping' me; I'm more concerned about you. There're Heartless everywhere here."

"No, I don't want to be dead weight! But I do think I'll need a better weapon." They both looked down at the abandoned pipe behind them. "Heck, I'd probably do better unarmed."

Riku nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm. I've heard about people who use martial arts against the Heartless."

"All right!" Avalon pumped a fist in the air and strode into the hall. "Martial arts it is!"

Riku sighed. "Just don't get hurt trying to hurt _them_, ok."

"Oh, have a little faith. I'm tougher than I look."

"… Which is why I had to help with your last 'fight'."

"Shut up! It makes perfect sense."

"Whatever."

As they came to the staircase, a black-robed man with dirty blonde hair appeared in their path.

#(Vexen!)# Avalon thought, raising her fists and hoping that semester of self defense courses would pay off.

Beside her, Riku summoned his blade and held it at the ready.

The man sneered at both of them. "Well, what have we here? If it isn't Riku. Riku of the dark, who forsook his home and his friends in return for power…"

"Shut up!" Riku shouted. He dashed at Vexen and attacked, only to find himself slashing through thin air as Vexen appeared behind him, facing Avalon.

"And you…" Vexen advanced toward the girl, who nimbly avoided his grip. "I'd better take you with me." With a wave of his hand, ice formed around Avalon in the shape of a cage.

"Avalon!" Riku shouted.

"Hey!" Avalon banged against the frozen bars. "Let me OUT!" Not that she actually expected yelling an order to work, but it was worth a shot.

"Listen, you! Leave her alone!" Riku rushed at Vexen. "What does she have to do with anything? Who are you?" Riku slashed at Vexen as he questioned him, but each blow met nothing but air.

Vexen smiled cruelly. A dark portal formed around the cage, and the man backed toward it. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough." He disappeared into the dark, leaving Riku alone at the base of the staircase.

"Avalon!"

* * *

I decided Riku was VERY out of character in the original version of this chapter (too much emotion and smiling!) so I changed a little more than the grammar.

Reviews, please? I haven't gotten any yet, and I really do love feedback. =( Likes/dislikes? Constructive criticism?


	3. Fateful Encounter

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, there would be a lot less Disney characters and a lot more Final Fantasy people.

00000000000000

It was dark. Not the dark humans as a species have grown accustomed to, where the worst a person experiences is walking through a forest with no flashlight, using the occasional moon and starlight filtering through the treetops as a guide.

No, this was more like being in a deep cave. A place that has never been touched by the light, where even if one managed to build a roaring bonfire in an attempt to ward off the darkness, it would still feel small and weak.

But even then, a person wouldn't be able to fully comprehend the feeling of this place. There was something else. Some sense of malice that was almost tangible, and it was pressing in all around its visitors.

Avalon shivered inside her ice cage. She looked around and saw only darkness, but somehow the girl still knew Vexen was nearby, and she could feel that the cage was moving forward. "Riku!" she shouted, hoping against all odds that he would hear her. It came out as more of a squeak than she'd anticipated.

"Scared?" Avalon could almost hear the smirk in Vexen's voice. It was infuriating. "You are far from Riku's reach. Far from any aid. Do not bother calling for help."

Avalon shivered again. She was getting weak from the cold, and something about this darkness... "W-what do you want from me?" she asked, trying and failing to calm her chattering teeth.

"I intend to study you. You are unique to this existence, from a world yet undiscovered, and have the strongest heart of any known creature." Vexen's voice fit the atmosphere. Cold. "You are, after all, the Guardian."

Avalon was practically convulsing with shivers, but managed to blurt "The… the w-what?"

Vexen tisked. "Don't you even know who you are?"

Suddenly, a light appeared and Avalon could see the outline of her captor in front of her. A second later, the darkness was gone, and, save for the extreme cold, Avalon could breathe again. "We're here," Vexen stated.

They were in the dark meeting room of Castle Oblivion's basement. The walls were white, but the lighting so dim that their shadows merged, making the room the bluish gray shade of nightfall. In a corner of the room sat another black-robed figure, this one with hair that almost matched the color of the room, who leafed through an old-looking book.

"Ah, Vexen, you're back," he said without looking up from the book."What took so long?"

"Patience, Zexion. I had some extra cargo on the way back." Vexen replied. "I found something that will be of use to us."

"What do you mean?" Now, Zexion looked up. His eyes met Avalon's immediately, and even though Avalon was beginning to feel faint, and her vision was blurring, she felt something like an electric shock in that instant.

Zexion's expression went from mild interest to downright fascination. Book all but forgotten on his seat, he advanced toward Avalon. "Is this…?" Zexion knelt next to the cage, studying the girl intently. "Is this who I think…? She smells like she may be strong enough…"

"I am sure of it," Vexen stated proudly and finally, as though he could not be wrong.

"Well then, we'd better get her out of this cage."

"Why?"

"You're freezing her."

"How dare you? How ignorant do you think I…" Vexen's voice trailed off as he looked at the girl, curled tightly in the fetal position and shivering.

"You were saying?" Zexion crossed his arms.

"D&#mit!" Vexen snapped his fingers, releasing the girl from her ice prison.

Zexion knelt next to Avalon, examining her dutifully. He took off one of his black gloves and felt the first piece of her tank top his his hand came to, an area that would have caused Avalon to kicked where it hurt if she hadn't been about to pass out. "Her clothes are wet. It's cold in here to begin with…" Then, he felt her forehead and frowned deeply.

"Yes! " Vexen snapped.

Zexion looked at the shivering girl on the floor gravely, then at Vexen. "We'd better get her upstairs and find someone up there to cover for us. She has hypothermia."

And with that, Avalon blacked out.

00000000000000000000000000

Avalon awoke to a white marble ceiling. Below it, she saw marble flower carvings etched into matching walls. Though she could find no visible source of light, the room was dimly lit, as though it were made for sleeping, or at least repose. And _everything_ was white.

#(Wh-where am I?)# she wondered. #(Why all the white?)#

She looked down and found herself in a pale bed, covered by a thick blanket. A single shiver ran down her spine, and she wondered why she was so cold. The last thing she remembered was walking through a room with Riku and… Oh, right. Vexen. Vexen had captured her and taken her to the basement meeting room, where she more or less met Zexion. Why were they so intrigued by her, though? It was as though she were some sort of tool, or endangered species. Perhaps both.

"W-well…" Avalon murmured to herself, "I'm not gonna find out laying here…" And she sat up, throwing the covers off. Now she was dizzy. And freezing. More than she should be… The girl now saw that she was stripped to her jewelry, her bra, and her underwear. "What happened? Where are my clothes?" She wrapped the blanket around herself. What now? She couldn't wander the area like this!

At that moment, the door opened and Zexion walked in, leading a slim woman whose hairstyle resembled something out of an anime and a man with fiery red hair. Larxene and Axel.

Axel was focused on the others. "So, Zexy, what do you and Larxene want me to look at? You barely ever say two words to each other, so what has you both so worried?" Then he noticed the scared girl huddled in the covers and fell silent, staring in bewilderment."Um… this is a new one…"

Larxene closed the door behind her.

Zexion, stared at Avalon, his face completely serious. His blue-gray eyes widened a bit in surprise when he noticed that Avalon was awake. The hint of a smile crossed his face, not warm, but not cold like Vexen's. It made Avalon shiver, but not in the same way. "Ah, you're awake." He walked toward her to examine her more closely. "How are you feeling?"

The girl's heart rate increased a bit. Zexion was a pretty good-looking guy, in a pretty way of course, and here he was bending in front of her, looking into her eyes, and asking how she was.

"Ummm…" Avalon blustered, clutching the sheets tightly above her boobs. "I… uh… I'm still pretty cold…"

Looking vaguely concerned, Zexion took off a glove and felt the girl's forehead, making her cheeks flush hot. He sighed and shook his head as he withdrew his hand and put his glove back on."Well," he said gravely, "the hypothermia's gone, but you have a considerable fever… We'll have to keep you here a bit longer."

"Hypothermia…" Axel muttered, leaning cross-armed against the door frame in thought. Then his head snapped up, his shockingly green eyes focusing on Zexion."Vexen?"

Zexion nodded.

Axel rubbed his chin. "And you don't want Marluxia to find out… But why are you here?" he asked Larxene."You don't strike me as someone Zexy would come running to."

Larxene smiled mischievously. "You're right, he didn't come to me. But here I was, minding my own business and taking a little walk through the castle when I saw Zexion carrying a wet, unconscious, shivering girl through the halls in his arms, headed towards the bedrooms…"

Avalon could feel herself blushing. Thankfully, the others were too interested in their conversation to notice. #(Zexion carried me here? In his arms?)# She looked at Zexion, who seemed a bit too stiff and indifferent to not be acting.

"…So naturally, I decided I should follow him and find out what was going on."

Axel looked amused. "Wow, Zexy. You must've been really worried to not notice Larxene following you. Or even her scent."

Zexion was silent. He really was quite rigid.

Axel seemed to think so, too. He fell silent, but continued watching "Zexy" with a very thoughtful gaze, rubbing his chin occasionally. The light in his eyes seemed to dance, suggesting to Avalon that he was enjoying himself.

As enlightening as that conversation was, the fact that Avalon was practically naked under her covers was beginning to make her extremely uncomfortable. "Um, I have a question," she piped up, making the three Organization members jump and turn to her. They had almost forgotten she was there. Despite Avalon's obvious discomfort, she continued speaking without faltering. "Where the heck are my clothes, and who took them off?"

Axel looked at Zexion, feigning amazement and pointing at him with an outstretched arm."Zexy, you…" he said in mock disgust, "You pervert!"

Larxene laughed.

Zexion rolled his eyes."You know very well it wasn't me," he replied evenly, then turned back to Avalon. "When I went to set you on the bed, I heard snickering from behind the crack in the door. There, I found Larxene, then asked her to remove the wet clothing while I left the room."

"Aaaw, aren't you a gentleman?" Axel remarked, grinning snidely. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

Zexion continued to try to ignore him, though there appeared to be a twitch developing below his left eye.

Larxene cocked her head innocently in response to Zexion's implied complaint about her following him. "Oh, come on, Zexion," she said smiling. "Aren't you glad I followed you? What would you have done without me?"

"Gotten Axel."

"Oooh, burned!" Axel exclaimed, pointing at Larxene enthusiastically.

"I always thought you'd be the one to burn me, Axel."

"Yeah, well, you know what they say... Other fish to fry... I guess you and Zexy had more of a spark."

Zexion held his head. "Stop it. Just... stop."

Axel and Larxene grinned at him, replying in unison. "No."

Avalon couldn't help but sigh in a mix of relief and exasperation. Neither she nor these people wanted Marluxia to find her. Though Avalon doubted she was being protected wholly for her own benefit, they all knew that whatever ensued if Marluxia found out about her would probably be unpleasant for all involved parties. #(So, we'll probably be looking out for each other for a little while yet.)# She looked back at the three inhabitants of Castle Oblivion gathered at her bedside.

Larxene was pouting about being "unwanted," Axel was laughing and continuing to tease Zexion, and Zexion's face, which only Avalon could see, had a silent desire for murder written all over it.

#(This…is going to be interesting…)#


	4. Introductions

Avalon wrapped her covers tightly around her, almost like a cocoon. Her skin burned with her fever and she fell asleep in seconds. It seemed as though merely talking with them had exhausted her.

"You know," Larxene whispered to the others, looking at Avalon as she shifted in her sleep. "If I had a heart, I might actually be worried about her."

Axel's eyes narrowed at the sleeping girl. It was odd; he almost did feel concern. It didn't seem like a memory, but that must just be his imagination getting the better of him.

Zexion stood silently, also studying the sick girl.

Axel shook his head. "Will you listen to us? 'If I had a heart.' That's all we say."

Larxene nodded. "Axel's right. We need to stop obsessing. We don't have hearts, and that's just how it is. Deal with it. Besides," a smile flickered across her face. "If the Superior's plan works, we'll have hearts soon enough."

They all stood by the bed, looking at the girl and thinking their individual thoughts.

"I'd better go to the meeting room," Larxene whispered, turning to leave. She looked at Axel. "Marluxia will notice if we're both missing."

Axel nodded.

"Don't do anything… inappropriate while I'm gone." Larxene winked and softly closed the door behind her.

Zexion rolled his eyes at Axel. "This is why we never say two words to each other."

"Ah," the red-haired Nobody replied with a smirk.

They both returned their attention to Avalon, letting her deep breaths fill the room.

"Hey, Zexy?"

Zexion sighed. "Why must you call me Zexy?"

"It's fun." Axel grinned for a moment. "But, seriously, do you know where her clothes are now?"

Zexion motioned to a corner of the room. Axel's eyes followed the motion and rested on the tank top and pj bottoms spread out flat on the floor next to a pair of pink and black tennis shoes.

"Weird," Axel muttered, walking to the corner and bending down to get a closer look. "Odd choice of clothes."

Zexion nodded. "We can ask about it when she wakes up."

"Yeah… I wonder where she comes from."

"Who knows?" Zexion asked indifferently. "It must be far. Vexen told me she has no clue how she ended up in this world."

"Hmmm…" Axel stared at the clothes some more, then gathered everything, including the shoes into his arms.

"What are you doing?" Zexion asked in surprise.

Axel was already on his way out the door. "They'll never dry at this rate. You stay here and guard her." Without waiting for a reply, he left Zexion alone with the sleeping girl.

"Well," the bluish-haired man told the sleeping figure quietly. "It seems the prophecy was right. You certainly have an interesting effect on us…" Thinking of Larxene's confession, Zexion found himself wanting to make his own. He looked around, and then softly whispered to the sleeping figure, "If I had a heart… I think I would have been rather attracted to you."

0000000000000000000000000000000

Avalon looked around the room. Axel and Larxene were nowhere to be seen. Zexion sat in a chair against the door, reading the same book he was reading when Avalon first saw him. Is he guarding me? The thought made Avalon's heart do a weird flip-flop.

The girl attempted to sit up, but a sharp pain invaded her temples. She couldn't help but groan, and her body fell back to the bed.

Zexion looked up from his book. "What's wrong?" He actually sounded concerned.

Not even trying to sit up, Avalon gritted her teeth and held her hands over her eyes, trying anything she could think of to dull the pain. "Mmmmurg…" she groaned vaguely.

Zexion's hand brushed her forehead. "Damn," he hissed under his breath, just loud enough for Avalon to hear.

00000000000000000000000000000

Axel popped into the room. "Umm… Zexy? Bad news…"

Zexion looked up at him from beside the bed. His hand was on the girl's forehead, and Axel could swear he saw a hint of panic in the man's eyes.

In an instant, Axel made his way to the other side of the bed, bad news forgotten. "Has it gone up?" he asked, meeting Zexion's gaze.

"Yes," Zexion said quietly.

"Dammit! How much?" A sinking sensation in Axel's stomach startled him. What the hell was it?

Zexion took a deep breath and slipped his glove back on. "I'd say that she's hit 103 degrees."

"WHAT?"

Zexion strode toward the door, but stopped abruptly and turned to Axel. "Take care of her. I'm going to find Vexen."

Axel stared at Zexion incredulously. "Can we trust him?"

Zexion's scowl and flashing eyes answered the question for him. "Perhaps you've forgotten, but Vexen already knows. We can't change that. Besides," Zexion continued darkly, "Can we really trust each other?" With that, he turned toward the door and was gone, leaving Axel to ponder that thought.

000000000000000000000000000

When her headache subsided enough for Avalon to open her eyes, she turned her head and saw Axel standing near (but not by) the bed. The red-haired man had his eyes closed and massaged his temples. He looks stressed.

"Are you all right?" she managed a whisper, concerned about the usually smirking man.

"Hmmm?" Axel looked at the girl nonchalantly. "I'm fine, just thinking about some things." Something seemed to catch the man's eye, and he his look turned into a stare that seemed to pierce into Avalon's thoughts.

#(What is he looking at?)# Avalon's face felt warm.

"Why do you care?" he asked bluntly.

She cocked her head. "What do you mean? Do I need a reason to care about somebody?"

Axel snorted. "Well then, you shouldn't worry about me." He put a hand over his chest and gave he a speech that sounded memorized. "I have no heart. I can't feel. I'm a Nobody."

The girl shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about. You definitely have feelings. And of course you're somebody!"

Axel paused. For some reason, he seemed unsure of how to react. "Whatever," he stated shortly, crossing his arms. "Waste your time caring, but don't expect me to return the favor. I don't even know anything about you."

"Then why are you protecting me?" Avalon asked. There had to be a reason. Maybe he was just denying it because he didn't want to look weak.

"To keep Marluxia from getting his hands on you and using you for darkness knows what kind of plot."

Ouch. Avalon tried not to let the pain she felt show on her face, but Axel's emerald eyes met hers again and narrowed. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He almost looked like he felt guilty. "The name's Axel." He held out his hand in a stiff greeting. "Got it memorized?"

Avalon smiled. She'd known his name before she met him, just like the others in Castle Oblivion. She was playing dumb to protect the people around her from finding out what happened to them, but Axel's introduction made her happy. It showed that despite anything he said, he did care; at least a little. "Yeah." She took his hand. "Avalon Rain. Nice to meet you, Axel."

She noted with a widening smile that the man looked surprised, even a little pleased, by her enthusiasm.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Umm… Axel?"

Axel had been reclining next to the door, but looked up at the girl's question. "Hmm?"

"Do you know where my clothes ended up?"

A wave of mild panic hit the man, but he masked it by scratching the back of his head. "Uh. Yeah. About that…"

Avalon cocked her head, listening intently.

"I, umm, tried to make them dry faster… I can control fire, see…" He was beating around the bush. He had really hoped he wouldn't have to tell her.

"Fire? Cool!" Avalon exclaimed. Had she forgotten about the clothes that easily? Axel really hoped so. "That explains the hair!" The girl smiled. "Is that natural, by the way?"

Axel blinked. "What?"

"You know, the spikes and the color," Avalon went on, smiling warmly. "It's different, but it looks really good on you!"

"Uh."

Avalon laughed.

It annoyed Axel a little bit that she seemed to find his confusion amusing, but at the same time, he couldn't help but chuckle along. "Yes, it's natural." He regarded the girl in front of him, purposely making himself look serious. "Well, what about your lips?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah. They have a reddish tint! That only happens with lipstick."

"Oh." Avalon laughed again. "Are you kidding? Of course it's natural! I'm too lazy to mess with make up!"

"But how…?"

The girl shrugged and cocked her head. "Talent?"

"Right… That's not normal, you know."

Avalon pointed at Axel and laughed. "Says the guy with spiky red hair and black teardrop-shaped markings under his eyes."

#(She got me…)# "All right, all right," he put his hands up in defeat. "But you did say the hair looks good on me."

"It does. So does the rest of the stuff I mentioned."

Axel re-crossed his arms and smirked. "So, you're saying I'm hot." This girl had a kindness to her, but also a spark of life that Axel found himself enjoying. He expected Avalon to react exactly opposite to the way other women would; he thought she would bluster and say "no" in horror. He just wanted to tease her. To his utter bewilderment, the girl was silent.

A light blush tinted the girl's cheeks and she turned away, obviously trying to hide it.

"Um…" For some reason, Axel felt like he liked this reaction. He shook his head dismissively. He sounded like Roxas. He couldn't "like" anything; he had no heart! Deciding not to call the girl out on her reaction, he laughed and walked to the bedside so she couldn't ignore him. "That's natural. I am fire, after all."

Axel felt a little jolt of electricity when Avalon's dark blue eyes met his gaze. Weird. "Well, I'm guessing your fever's dropped. I mean, you're acting a lot more… energetic. And you can stay awake." He took off a black glove and placed his hand on her head.

The girl jumped under his hand, looking surprised.

"Hmm," he tilted his head, considering. He didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. "My senses aren't as sharp as Zexy's… that's the guy who brought you here… but I think your temperature's back to normal." He put his glove back on. "Can you sit up?"

Avalon sat up slowly. The covers dropped and she caught them at the last second; just barely exposing a healthy bust and lacy black bra straps. Avalon held the covers higher over her chest, cheeks now a noticeably bright pink.

Axel's body responded. #(What the hell?!)# Axel thought. His cheeks were warm. #(Am I fucking blushing, too?)# Quickly, he turned back to the door. What the hell was this girl doing to him?

"Umm…" Avalon's voice sounded thin and embarrassed. It was kind of cute. "So… where are my clothes?"

#(Shit!)# "Well, you see…" Axel started.

The doorknob turned.

Without another thought, Axel summoned his chakrams and put himself between Avalon and the danger. As much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, protecting her wasn't just business anymore.

* * *

An: So yeah, editing this thing is a bitch and a half because of all the new Kingdom Hearts installments. I had to re-play a few games, and realized that Dream Drop Distance kind of voids out my whole story, but I can make 358/2 Days work.

Work in progress, I promise. =)

Please review! I'd love any stylistic advice so that I can improve my writing style.

Thank you!


	5. Suspicion and Clothing Issues

Zexion strode through the door with a glass of water and a wet washcloth. Axel bristled like a cat in front of him, fire dancing around the rims of his chakrams.

Zexion raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, Zexy, it's only you." Axel averted his gaze for an instant, almost looking embarrassed, but recovered quickly. He dismissed his weapons and stood up straight.

"It's Zexion. _Zexion._ Not 'Zexy.' I've put up with it until now. I would advise you to quit while you're ahead."

Axel crossed his arms. "You never _said_ it annoyed you."

Zexion sighed and closed the door. There was just no point arguing with this man. #(Best to move on.)# "Vexen refused to help. He said the fever would 'blow over.'"

"Well, I guess he was right." Avalon's voice surprised Zexion. Her head poked out from behind Axel now that she knew she was safe.

"You're awake? How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thanks to you two," the girl replied with a smile. Something about being thanked made Zexion uncomfortable, but the girl's warm smile made it tolerable.

Axel rubbed the back of his neck and walked toward a wall, mumbling, "I really didn't do anything…"

Zexion couldn't get over how much better the girl looked. She had some color in her cheeks now, and intelligence danced through her eyes now that the fevered haze had cleared. She actually looked somewhat striking now. "How's the fever?"

"Axel checked. He said he's pretty sure I'm back to normal."

"_Axel_ checked?" Zexion sent a shocked look at the red-haired man, who intently examined a 3-D marble flower that jutted from the wall."

"Why is that weird?" Avalon tilted her head.

Axel wasn't generally that easy to get close to. As a rule, Axel almost never cared about anyone's well-being unless it suited him (not that any Organization member was different…) The only exception so far was Organization XIII's number XIII: Roxas. "No reason…"

Zexion noted Axel's rigid movements with surprise. Number eight was purposely ignoring him.

Avalon looked from Zexion to Axel, a frown tilting at her mouth. Zexion wondered for a moment if she could sense the tension between them. "Question," she said suddenly, raising one hand into the air and holding the blanket up with the other.

Well that was a change in demeanor. The girl seemed so bubbly in that moment that Axel and Zexion looked at her and blinked, then looked at one another.

"Alright," Axel conceded, apparently speaking for both of them. He crossed his arms. "It's about time for a Q and A. What do you want to know?"

"Ummm…" Avalon put her hand down as she considered. She must not have expected it to be that easy. Smart girl.

As a matter of fact, Zexion wasn't sure why he and Axel made it so easy. The Guardian would be easier to manage if they kept her in the dark, but his automatic response to her seemed to be more open than usual. This bothered him.

"Alright." Avalon looked to Axel. "First question: Vexen said something about me being the 'Guardian' and not knowing who I am… and my heart and existence being different and stuff like that."

#(Shit.)# Vexen was far too loose-lipped.

Axel involuntarily jumped. "The Guardian! Avalon, you're the _Guardian?_" He shot an accusing glare at Zexion. "Why the hell didn't you _tell _me?"

Zexion glared right back. "I'm not required to report to you."

Axel frowned. His gaze flicked to Avalon, who stared at him with a look of mingled concern and curiosity. Zexion didn't think he was supposed to notice Axel shake his head at the girl, obviously telling her not to delve into why her protectors were at odds.

Avalon nodded, just as slightly.

Something about the idea that these two had managed to bond enough to have a silent conversation made Zexion's blood boil.

"Alright," Axel said, sitting next to Avalon on the bed. "Explaining the Guardian thing… This… could take a while."

Avalon sat very rigid, and a dusting of pink colored her cheeks. "Before you start explaining," Zexion said, fighting to keep his voice calm. "Perhaps you could fetch her clothes. She looks a bit… uncomfortable."

Axel looked at the girl by his side.

Avalon blushed deeper. "I-it's not you… It's just-"

"You don't like being half-naked around two guys. Any decent girl would feel that way." Axel scratched the back of his head. "Don't know how I forgot that… Anyway, ummm… Remember what I started telling you while Zexy was gone?"

There was that nickname again. Zexion's hand twitched with the desire to slap the other man.

"About the clothes… Look, I'm sorry, alright?"

Avalon looked confused.

Zexion had to fight to keep from smiling. "You accidentally burned the clothes, didn't you?"

"Er." Axel winced and looked away from Avalon.

The girl groaned.

Now Zexion couldn't help but smile. Watching Axel fidget like a dog that got caught chewing a slipper was just plain amusing.

Axle stood. "Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "I'll find something…" He turned his gaze to Zexion, who quickly wiped the grin off his face. "Do you know where Marluxia keeps the extra uniforms?"

"Hmmm… It's been a while since I left the basement, except to go to my room… Try the room next to Marluxia's. That's where they were when we found Xion." Not that "found" was the right word, exactly, but Axel didn't need to know the details of Xion's birth.

"Xion?" Avalon asked.

"No one important," Axel said, waving his hand. "She doesn't really have a lot to say."

Thankfully, Axel didn't seem to reflect on that train of thought. There was a lot more to Xion than met the eye, and the higher-ranking members of the Organization didn't want the lower-ranking ones fouling things up. Keeping them oblivious was the best way to keep them out of the way.

"Can't we just steal someone else's uniform? Like Demyx?" Axel grinned to himself at the thought. "We could summon him, surround him, and beat him up!" He looked to Zexion. "C'mon, you're with me, right?"

Zexion stared at Axel blankly. "As appealing as that plan actually is, it would cause a few… problems."

"Like what?"

"Like Demyx wandering around Castle Oblivion in his rock star clothes whining to everyone that we beat him up and took his uniform."

Axel slumped. "You have a point there…" He glanced at Avalon, who was watching them while holding the covers over her chest, and sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright. I'll go look for the cloaks. I might need a distraction, though."

"Don't worry about that. Vexen wants to test something upstairs anyway. Just be there when he arrives."

Axel nodded, glanced at Avalon again, and then walked out and closed the door behind him.

What the hell was going on between those two?


End file.
